The Journey Begins

Well, here we are. Time for me to get back on track, into routine and start shaping this post- preggo body of mine.

Part of me is excited- no, really. After so long of trying to “let go” during pregnancy it’ll be nice to have a bit more rigidity. Not to mention.. I do love a goal! Having something to work towards always keeps me focused (have I mentioned I’m a bit obsessive?!).

If any of you have seen me in the last few weeks you may be wondering what this particular goal could be. Not to sound too cocky, but I did come out of pregnancy looking pretty slim.

But alas, all of us have a place where we feel the most comfortable and I am simply not there.

So the work begins.

The last two weeks have been about trial and error in my studio. What felt good, what kind of workouts I could do and what modifications needed to be made post pregnancy. As everyone will tell you, you’re supposed to “take it easy” after the baby.

Which I understand. No seriously, I do.

However, easy is relative to what your body is used to. I worked out up until the day I gave birth- my body is used to an active stimulus.

8 months pregnant and kicking butt

Five days after having Zoey I jumped back into bodyweight workouts. Nothing overly intense, just four rounds of squats, thrusts, push ups and rows for twenty reps each round. It felt fantastic.

Thirteen days after the birth I jumped back on the pole (check out my practice here). While there was definitely some strength loss, nothing went horrible wrong.

Working on spins

In terms of nutrition, I’ve been decently diligent. My veggie intake hasn’t wavered from 5+ servings a day and my protein intake remained high. But there have been indulgences.. probably more than I care to admit to 😛 but you know, the “I just had a baby” mindset does take over occasionally!

So this week, this is it.

Post pregnancy has left me with an additional eleven pounds on my frame. I am aware this is not horrible however, I also feel pretty “soft”.

The goal: Strict adherence for the next four weeks

Why is my goal not SMART (specific, measurable. Achievable, result oriented & time determined)? Because goals have variables. GASP

Why bother to set an exact weight focus for myself when I truly don’t care? I am more concerned with the way I feel, how my clothes fit and what I can do in the studio than if I make a weight of 125lbs. On top of that, my weight fluctuates 3-5lbs all the time. So setting a specific number makes little point. Not to mention I am still pumping so chances are I wouldn’t hit pre-pregnancy weight anyways (I think I’ve gained three pounds in boobs alone!)

The next four weeks:

You may be wondering what my plan is for the next month. It’s actually very simple:

Commit to a workout schedule – easy for me, I am a creature of habit. For the next four weeks my schedule will be as follows: three weight workouts per week, one pole workout per week and everything else is simply “optional activity” (yoga/hiking with the babe/ corrective exercise).

Regular Meals – Instead of “grazing” throughout the day as was my way during pregnancy, regular, structured meals need to make a comeback. While my main meals remained structured throughout my pregnancy and after, my snacks were a bit more random. So some prep and planning will need to take place!

Reduce Sugar Intake & Indulgences – Celebration cake because you had a baby? Cookies because you’re bored? Ice cream for presents? While all of these have been (admittedly) delicious, they are not overly conducive to results. Treats need to be limited to twice per week (for me it’s Friday’s & Saturday’s) and not in over-consumption.

The Game Plan

So how will I structure my life you ask? The same way I always have! Because I am still pumping and thus require some extra calories I won’t be tracking my intake (who has time for that with a newborn anyways?!). Also, see this video regarding my game plan and this blog as to why I hate calorie counting.

Instead, I will focus on consuming real food. You know, that stuff that doesn’t come out of a package :P. The majority of my diet will come from real food and eating when genuinely hungry. Each meal or snack has to contain an adequate protein and veggie intake has to hit 6+ servings per day. Those are my “rules”.

While this may seem a bit challenging for most it’s what I’m used to. When you only keep good food in the house, lousy choices are fewer and farther between. In truth, my biggest struggle will be eating enough. Between sleepless nights and following the schedule of a newborn, sitting down to meals doesn’t exactly happen religiously 😛

But, as we all know, I’m a preparation freak 😉 so grab and go meals will be ready and waiting (this is key!).

So that’s it, my goals and game plan from now till the end of September. At which point I’ll evaluate the changes made, how my body responded and what steps need to be taken moving forward.

Personally, I adore getting back into routine and fueling my body with nutrients it requires. If you’re looking to join me on the second half of this adventure, the Fourteen Day Restart begins on September 21st and follows pretty much the same rules as above- you can check it out and get set up here.